Cavity liner



N. D FQLEY CAVITY LINER une 279 i? Filed Dec. l, 1947 NELSON D. FOLEY FIG.

Patente-cl June 27, 1950 UNE'E'ED STATES ATENE QFFEQE CAVITY LINER Application December 1, 1947, Serial No. 789,126

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to metal containers.

More particularly, it relates to seamless-drawn containers having one closed end and one open end, with an integral outwardly-extending flange at the open end.

Still more specifically, the invention relates to a container of this type wherein the ange has a notch therein, and the material on opposite sides of the notch is bent in opposite directions, to form a helicoidal surface which will fit into a screw thread, the depth of the notch corresponding to the depth of the threads.

The object of the invention is to simplify and oheapen the manufacture of containers of the type discussed above, particularly for use as cavity liners in projectiles, for the purpose of separating the explosive charge from the fuze, thus permitting removal of the fuze without danger of loss and/or spilling of any of the charge.

The cavity liner is applied in two different ways, depending on the type of explosive in the projectile; if it is fusible, for example, TNT, the explosive may be cast around the liner after the latter is in place, whereas a infusible material,

such as explosive D, is first compressed into the shell, after which a suitable hole is bored therein, to receive the liner.

The invention will be clear from the following description, and the drawings accompanying the same, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan of a liner;

Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic axial section, on a reduced scale, through the forward portion of a projectile, the fuze and the cavity liner being shown in elevation.

The cavity liner comprises a cup I made of thin metal, having substantially the appearance of a beaker of the type found in chemistry laboratories.

This cup has a cylindrical wall 2, a flat bottom, and a radial flange 3 at its top. Preferably the transitions from cylindrical wall to flat top flange and flat bottom flange are made by curved portions 5 and 6, which strengthen the vessel and also make it easier to manufacture.

A notch extends inward of the flange 3, for a distance equal to, or slightly greater than, the depth of the threads I El. The size of the cup l is sufficient to allow the rear portion of the fuze to be accommodated snugly therein, and the outer diameter of the flange 3 is equal to, or very slightly less than, the outer diameter of the threads I0 of the shell.

The fuze nose 'l is held by a metal base 8, threaded as shown at 9, and said fuze has the cavity liner I slipped over its inner cylindrical portion, so that the flange 3 lies flat against the inner end of the threaded portion 9.

Before applying the liner, the flange 3 is bent adjacent the notch il, so that on opposite sides of the notch the flange 3 is displaced oppositely, for example, up at the left of the notch 4 and down at the right thereof, in Fig. 2. This ange may thus be started into the female threads It) formed in the upper end of the shell casing II, and carried along by the fuze while the latter is being screwed into place on the shell. During this manipulation, the outer portion of the flange 3 will assume a helicoidal shape, fitting closely in the threadsv I0 of the shell, so that when the fuze is removed by unscrewing it, the cavity liner I will remain in the projectile.

It will be understood that a cavity I3 must be formed in some way in the explosive charge I2. This may be done by casting the explosive about the cavity liner I, or an equivalent molding plunger, if the explosive is of the fusible type such as TNT, or by filling the shell completely with a non-fusible explosive in any suitable way, for example by hydraulic pressure or the like, and then boring a hole therein of proper size to receive the cavity liner.

Attention may be called also to the fact that the same cavity liner may be used for either right-hand or left-hand threads, dependent solely on which side of the notch Il is bent up and which down. For example, the liner shown in Fig. 2 will t a left hand thread, but if each side of the notch 4 were bent in the sense opposite to the one illustrated, it then would fit a righthand thread instead.

The operation of the invention will be clear from the foregoing description of the structures involved, but is summarized briefly as follows: If it is assumed that the casing Il contains the explosive I2 so located as to provide a cavity I3 into which the cavity liner I will t, then the liner I is introduced into the cavity I3 by screwing it into position together with the fuze.

When for any reason the fuze is thereafter removed, the liner I will remain in the cavity I3 and seal it effectively, so that explosive cannot drop out of the shell or come into contact with foreign material while the fuze is thus absent.

The metal of which the cavity liner is made is so thin that its mass may be ignored, as far as the transmission of detonating effects from the fuze to the explosive is concerned, and the volume of metal likewise is so small that it has f no appreciable effect on the space left for the explosive I2 in the shell.

The cavity liner thus performs the following functions:

1. It prevents deterioration of the casing caused by loss of explosive when the fuze is absent.

2. It avoids danger of fire due to explosive spilled on the deck of a ship or elsewhere.

3. It protects the explosive from contamination or other damage due to the entry of foreign material.

4. It aids in keeping the explosive from absorbing moisture.

5. It automatically keeps the cavity in the eX- plosive at its proper size and shape, so that the removed fuze or equivalent replacement may be reinserted with the assurance that it Will t correctly.

What is claimed is:

The combination with a'missile having'an explosive charge therein, and a fuze for detonating said charge, said` charge being provided with a cavity to receive said fuze, a cavity liner comprising a seamless-drawn cylindrical cup of thin metal, having one integrally-formed closed flat end, the transition portion between the cylindrical portion and said flat end being a part of a toroidal surface, the other end lof said cup having an outwardly extending flange, said flange initially extending in a plane normal to the axis of the cylindrical portion the transition portion between said flange and the cylindrical portion being part of a toroidal surface, said flange having a V-shaped notch in the periphery thereof, whereby said flange may be bent, adjacent to the opposite sides of said notch, in opposite senses with respect to the general plane of the notch, and in the proper directions to transform said flange into either a right hand or left hand helicoidal surface when engaged tightly between c0- acting threaded portions of the fuze and missile respectively.

NELSON D. FOLEY.

EFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date' 282,802 Thompson Aug. 7, 1883 1,296,171 Dingwall et al. v Mar. 4, 1919 1,382,259 Walker June 21, 1921 2,304,433 Zimmer Dec. 8, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 503,561 France --.Man 20, 1920 

